Eat like a genius

We eat more junk food today than ever before. Which is not that strange considering how accessible and time-saving it is.

Unfortunately, it – surprise, surprise – seems like industrially-produced food also has some drawbacks. At least according to science.

Studies have, time after time, shown that processed foods often contain mysterious additives and excessive amounts of salt, saturated fats and sugar which can increase the risk of serious diseases and cause health issues. And according to the latest findings, it’s not only our bodies that are affected. Newresearch shows that our brain’s cognitive skills can deteriorate. Simply put, junk food can make us stupid.

Our focus here at Ankarsrum, however, is to manufacture kitchen assistants of the utmost quality. We’re no dietary experts or scientists, but we firmly believe that a smart and fun way of knowing what you fuel your body with is to cook the food yourself. From the ground up. At least a couple of times a week.

On this site, we’ve collected authentic family recipes of dishes that have nurtured some of the world’s most brilliant minds. And even though we can’t guarantee that these recipes will lead to a marked increase in brain capacity, we are convinced that these dishes, and homemade food in general, are more wholesome for both body and mind than junk food in all its varieties.

See you in the kitchen.

Ankarsrum Assistent Original

Richard G. Rosner's Charoset

Richard G. Rosner

Television Writer

1960 –

American scriptwriter and reality TV personality Richard Rosner was born in 1960. With an IQ level well above the norm and an odd career path, he is a man in a category of his own.

Rosner has scored incredibly high results in different IQ tests –190 and 192 respectively – and is thus classified as a super genius. He is also the only person in the world who has answered all 48 questions of the “Hoeflin’s Titan Test” correctly.

But, it’s not only Rosner’s fantastic IQ that makes him stand out from the crowd. With such former jobs as roller-skating waiter and nude modelling, as well as participating in both reality series and commercials, he is known for taking part in activities that are not usually associated with geniuses.

During Rosner’s upbringing, a family tradition was to eat Charoset every Easter. The dish is a traditional Jewish apple and nutpaste which, in the Rosner household, was cooked by Rick’s mother using her own special recipe. Today, it is Rosner’s wife who makes the dish – but the recipe has remained the same.

Photo: Richard G. Rosner

Richard G. Rosner's Charoset

Clarifying notes by Ankarsrum are marked in red

Ingredients

Portions: –

Metric

US

one per person

Red apples (peeled and diced)

Sweet grape wine

Chopped walnuts

Honey

Cinnamon

Matzo (traditional Jewish flatbread)

Directions

Step 1

Dice the apples and place in a bowl.

Step 2

Add as many walnuts as you like.

Step 3

Add the wine to wet the mixture but avoid soaking it.

Step 4

Add the honey to bind the mixture together and sprinkle it with cinnamon.

Step 5

Mix it all together. Spread on matzo bread. Serve.

Tips!

Make your own flatbread (similar to Matzo) using the recipe on the following page.

(Recipe from Ankarsrum)

FLATBREAD

Ingredients

Portions: –

Metric

US

2 1/4 tsp

fresh yeast (or dry active yeast)

2 cups plus 2 tbsp

water

1 tsp

salt

3 1/4 cups

bread flour

3 1/4 cups

coarse rye flour

Directions

Step 1

Assemble the Assistent with the stainless steel bowl, dough knife and dough roller. Heat the water to 37 C (105 F) in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Step 2

Dry yeast: Add the water and yeast to the mixer bowl and mix on low speed until the mix starts coming together. Turn off the Assistent and let stand until the yeast blooms, about 10 minutes.

Step 3

Fresh yeast: Crumble the yeast in the bowl, add the water, and run the assistent on low speed, positioning the dough roll next to the edge. Run until yeast is dissolved.

Step 4

Add salt and 1/2 of the flour. Mix on low speed until dough begins to come together, pulling the Assistent arm toward the center as needed to help blend the ingredients. Slowly add the remaining flour until 1 cup is left. If dough is too sticky, keep adding a small amount of flour until a soft, but non-sticky, dough is achieved.

Step 5

Adjust speed to medium. Speed knob turned to about three o’clock. Lock the arm in place 1–2 inches from edge of the bowl. Set the timer for 8 minutes to knead the dough.

Step 6

Cover the bowl with the bowl cover and place in fridge for one hour. Set the oven to 225 C (425 F).

Step 7

Place the dough onto a flour-covered work surface and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape the dough into round balls. Roll out the dough until it’s 2 – 3 mm thick. The last roll of each portion can be done with a pizza docker. Place the dough, two by two, on metal plates covered with parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake them for about 10 – 15 minutes until the bread’s edges starts to brown. Be extra attentive the last few minutes. Let the bread cool, one by one, on a cooling rack.

Evangelos Katsioulis’s Blue Ribbon Apple pie

Try this apple pie, favored by the the man with the world’s highest IQ – Evangelos Katsioulis.